Surface Reflection
by I Know Your Name
Summary: Hige is not the wolf the rest of the pack seems to believe he is. When the pack is captured by a group of sadists, they're going to understand a great deal more, both about Hige and his past and about themselves.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: _Wolf's Rain_ is not mine. **

**I suppose this is a rather weird idea. But I love stories like this (the more stories I post online, the more you'll see how similiar they often are as far as this specific plot is concerned) and wanted one about Hige.**

**This may be construed as AU, if you like. It may not. It is _NOT _yaoi, shounen-ai, slash, etc. I don't care if it seems that way in the story--it's not. And I'm not attempting to portray events or characters in that way. The physical contact between the wolves, which, if taken in a human context, may seem implicating, is completely natural to the normal social dynamics of a wolf pack. Of course, I didn't make these wolves completely ordinary as far as normal wolves go, but I did try to interject a great deal of normal wolf pack interdynamics. **

**The only pairing in this story, so far, is Hige/Blue. **

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The five sat in one cell. They had never been confined like this before. It was an altogether new thing, especially since the one confining them was someone they didn't know, someone who, as far as they knew, had no connection with Jagura or Darcia. This person was different. They hated this person, whoever it was. The only good thing about the situation was the fact that Cheza was safe with the People. At least they didn't have to worry about her.

Kiba had already tried breaking the bars of the cage with his teeth, but had only succeeding in bruising his jaw. The others, with the exception of Hige, had thrown themselves against the bars repeatedly, but had only succeeded in bruising their ribs.

Hige had done nothing.

The brown wolf had curled up in a ball, almost a fetal position, in a corner of the cage. He hadn't moved since they had arrived, hadn't spoken, hadn't made a sound. This worried Kiba, who, statements to the contrary, looked on the others as his responsibility and his pack members. Hige, being Hige, ought to be complaining at this point with the others, scheming, tackling Toboe and comforting Blue. But Hige just lay there, motionless.

Kiba was tempted to go over to him, but decided to let it be for a while longer. They had been here for about a day; he could wait a few more minutes, or hours, before he approached Hige about whatever was bothering him. It was obvious that the other wolf didn't want to talk about it. Kiba realize that Blue and Tsume understood this as well, and were thus avoiding disturbing Hige.

Toboe, on the other hand, lacked the perception necessary to make such a judgment. He was young, and oblivious to the subliminal message Hige was broadcasting that was so obvious to the three older wolves. Tsume, Kiba, and Blue, all preoccupied with their thoughts, failed to notice Toboe's attempt to arouse Hige.

Toboe walked up to Hige's still form.

"Hige?"

Hige didn't reply. If anything, the silence sent out a stronger message to leave him alone. If Hige didn't talk, there was something seriously wrong. Toboe missed it.

"Hige? What's wrong?" Toboe asked again, getting a little closer. Tsume, half-asleep, began to become vaguely aware that Toboe was treading dangerous ground.

"Toboe." Tsume muttered. Toboe ignored him, intent on waking Hige.

"Hige!" Toboe repeated, louder this time, and nudged the other wolf with his nose.

The next thing he knew, he was flat on his back with a snarling Hige pinning him to the ground. Toboe was used to seeing Hige as the happy-go-lucky, unassuming third member of the pack. He had never really thought about Hige's size until now, when the brown wolf's full weight was forcing him down. Hige was _enormous_. They called him fat, but Toboe was abruptly forced to the realization that all that "fat" was in fact hard muscle.

Hige snarled down at Toboe, teeth close to his throat. Toboe pinned his ears back and curled his paws up, demonstrating submission, but Hige wasn't accepting it. He snarled again, his fangs closer to Toboe's throat.

"Hige!" Blue cried, going closer to the brown wolf. Hige ignored her. Tsume and Kiba were up by this time and staring at the brown wolf. Hige _never _lost his temper. Tsume saw that the brown wolf was dangerously close to losing it.

"Hige." Tsume said quietly. Hige pressed harder down on Toboe, a harsher growl rumbling from his throat. Toboe began to whine, trembling underneath Hige.

Kiba threw himself on the brown wolf, knocking him off Toboe. Toboe jumped up and hid behind Tsume. Hige had gotten back to his feet and was circling Kiba, his hackles raised and tail a stiff brush behind him. Kiba snarled back, unable to ignore the fact that Hige was a good deal bigger than he was. Certainly he had more fighting experience…probably. Kiba suddenly realized that he had never actually faced Hige, and had no idea what the brown wolf was actually capable of. It was strange, now that he thought about it.

"What do you think you're doing, Hige?" Kiba demanded. "Toboe was worried about you!"

Hige paused. The dangerous gleam in his eye died, and his hackles lowered. He sat down abruptly, confusion coming into his eyes. Blue went up to him cautiously.

"Hige?"

Hige began to shake his head back and forth as if trying to rid himself of some sensation.

"Hige?" Blue repeated, closing in now. She touched him with her nose. He started.

"Blue!"

"What the hell do you think you were doing?" Tsume demanded, leaving Toboe shivering in the corner. "You attacked Toboe!"

Hige blinked and hung his head. "Sorry." He looked at Toboe. "Sorry." He looked away. "I don't know what came over me."

"You "don't know what came over you"?" Tsume repeated incredulously. "That doesn't cut it, Hige. You were about to _kill _Toboe."

Hige raised his head and stared at the other wolf. "I said I didn't know."

"That's crap."

Hige got to his feet. Kiba was starting to have a bad feeling about this day. Tsume remained where he was, staring at the third member, utterly confident. Hige stiffened slightly.

"Oh?"

"Yeah." Tsume growled. Hige bristled.

"Why can't you just believe me?" He demanded.

"Hige." Blue said, nudging him. "Calm down."

Hige glared at her. "No! I'm tired of this…who elected him boss, anyway?"

"I'm number two. That's how it's always been." Tsume retorted. "You didn't have a problem with it."

"Huh." Hige abruptly turned away and curled into his ball in the corner again. Blue lay down close to him. Tsume walked over to Kiba.

"He's acting really strange."

"Yes." Kiba said, looking at Hige. "I don't know what could have brought this on."

"He _attacked _Toboe." Tsume said, glancing over at the youth. The pup was still shaken from Hige's attack. His eyes were fixed on the third member, as if he thought that if he didn't watch him, Hige might attack again. "That's definitely strange. Hige doesn't attack anyone, unless they're a threat to the pack."

"That is strange." Kiba said absently. Tsume glanced at him.

"Come to think of it, Hige never challenged me as second member. That's the way these things are normally settled...the two competing for second member fight, and the winner is second. You beat him, so that's done, but…"

"I didn't beat him." Kiba said, still absently. "Hige just accepted me as leader immediately. We never fought. Never even a show fight."

Tsume looked at him in utter disbelief. "You're kidding."

"No."

"That's insane."

Kiba looked at him. "Why?"

Tsume's mouth dropped open. "Pack hierarchy has always been decided through dominance and fighting…" He paused. "But maybe Hige just saw your obvious dominance and submitted right away, like Blue and Toboe." No one could really expect either of those two to challenge for alpha or beta…Blue was a half-wolf, and thus not as powerful as the others. She would be crushed immediately in a serious fight with a full wolf. Toboe was just a pup, and naturally submissive because of that. That left Kiba, himself, and Hige. Kiba was the natural leader, for obvious reasons. But why had Hige never challenged either of them for leadership? Not to do so was unnatural, almost wrong. It was customary to at least put up a show fight in order to publicly display your pack loyalties. But Hige had never done that. He hadn't challenged either of them, hadn't bothered to assist in setting up a traditional pack structure, as the other two had unconsciously done. Hige had been unconcerned with everything except food.

"No." Kiba looked over to where Hige was lying in the corner. "He didn't submit at all."

Tsume stared at Kiba. "Nothing?"

"Nothing. He's just…here."

"That makes me nervous."

"Why?"

"It's not right."

Kiba grunted. It wasn't right. Something was off with Hige. They hadn't bothered to find out until now, when it was hitting them in the face. They should have dealt with it earlier. Hige was certainly powerful enough to challenge—he was the biggest and probably the strongest member of the pack. He just didn't seem to have any interest in dominance and submission, and this disturbed Kiba. Even if they weren't technically a pack, in the traditional sense, Hige should still have certain instincts.

He glanced over to Toboe. "Toboe."

The red wolf crept towards them, careful to give Hige a wide berth. When he got close to Kiba and Tsume, he pinned his ears back and lowered his tail.

"Cut the formalities, kid." Tsume snapped. Toboe looked at him out of the corner of his eye, refusing to make direct eye contact. "I said _cut it_."

Toboe rolled onto his back. Tsume gritted his teeth. Idiot pig. He had seriously disturbed the pup with that brainless attack of his.

Kiba nudged Toboe with his nose. "Get up."

Toboe got to his feet, careful not to face them head on. He offered them his side. Tsume growled.

"Quit it, Toboe! You're being stupid!"

Toboe whimpered. "Sorry."

"We're not going to hurt you." Kiba said gently. Toboe looked at him, daring contact for half a second before glancing away again. Kiba stepped closer to Toboe and took the pup's muzzle in his jaws. Toboe closed his eyes and sighed, secured by Kiba's formal acceptance of his submission. Kiba released the pup's muzzle. Toboe relaxed.

"Did he have to do that?" Tsume demanded of Toboe. "You're being dumb, kid." He sighed. "We should have told you not to mess with Hige."

"Why?" Toboe's eyes were innocent. He looked curiously at the older wolves. "Hige's never minded before!"

Kiba looked over to the now sleeping Hige. "When someone like Hige goes into a corner and stops talking, you know they want to be alone."

"But he tried to kill me!" Toboe whimpered. Tsume let out a breath.

"He's just tired."

"He's been tired before and he never attacked me!" Toboe persisted. "He never attacks a member of the pack!"

"He bit you that one time." Tsume said.

"That didn't count. I made him mad." Toboe looked down.

"Well, what do you think you did this time?"

"Tsume." Kiba said softly. Tsume closed his mouth. Toboe looked at Kiba.

"Hige's not sick, is he, Kiba?"

"Don't know."

"You think he is? Maybe they're poisoning us or something…we should get out of here!"

"What do you think we've been trying to do for the past nine hours, kid?" Tsume snapped. "And if they were poisoning us, don't you think the rest of us would react to?"

"Maybe it's just for Hige."

"Does that even make _sense_?" Tsume demanded. "Why would they only poison Hige? That's just stupid."

"Why?" Kiba asked, still looking at the sleeping Hige. By this time Blue was sitting up and watching over him, a worried expression in her eyes.

"Why?" Tsume asked. "Because why would they go after Hige? He's the third member of the pack and not that important."

"He is too important!" Toboe interrupted. Tsume snorted.

"Toboe, the mission could continue without Hige."

"Maybe they aren't concerned with the mission." Kiba muttered, moving closer to the bars. "Maybe it's something different."

"And what would that be?" Tsume asked. "Some weird human group going after Hige for no apparent reason other than the fact that he's Hige? Am I the only one who thinks that's stupid?"

"Yes."

Tsume looked at Kiba. "What?"

"Yes."

Tsume shook his head. "I can't believe you're saying that."

"Why?"

"Because…because it's stupid."

Kiba faced him. "How much do we really know about each other, Tsume?"

"I see your point." Tsume said. "We don't know anything about each other. But knowing Hige, do you really think…"

"The entire point, Tsume, is that we don't know Hige."


	2. Chapter 2

**Standard disclaimer applies. **

**This is, obviously, chapter 2. I had it done two days ago but am restraining myself from posting too often. Just to warn you, the characters are sometimes OOC in this story. And it's going to be dark. Yeah, I know. I can write fluff but almost never do. I've written one fluff, and that was extremely painful...for what I typically write and how my characters' mindsets are, see _Love and Loneliness_, a one-shot Anakin Skywalker POV concerning Padme. Most of my protagonists will have similar attitudes...not necessarily with his violence and hatred, but similar. At any rate, this will be a dark fic.**

**If any of you are wondering why the heck I am writing this when I am still in the middle of _Confinement..._errr...I have writer's block for that fic. I know what happens, but I'm having a hard time getting there, and fitting together all the plot pieces. If you're that desperate for _Fruits Basket _fic, go to _And the Cat Ate the Rat _or its sequel, _What the Dog Said. _Yes, I do want you to read my other stories...the not-so-subtle hints thrown out there throughout the past two paragraphs attest to that. Forgive the audacity.**

**Yes, I realize that author's notes belong at the end. Screw that. I like mine up front. Heh. By the way, this chapter is dedicated to my faithful readers who are bothering to read my fic. I love you all.**

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Tsume stared at Kiba then slowly nodded. "Yeah."

Toboe looked from one to the other, his expression nervous. "What are you guys talking about?"

"Nothing." Tsume said. "Go talk to Blue."

Toboe cocked his head and sat down. "Tell me!" He whined.

"Go." Tsume snapped. Toboe growled but went. Kiba looked at Tsume.

"We have to ask him."

"You think that's a good idea?" Tsume asked. "Look what he almost did to Toboe."

"Toboe's a pup. We can handle Hige."

Tsume cocked his head. "Yes. At least, we think we can." He said sarcastically.

"Don't be stupid."

"You're the one who was preaching about not knowing him."

A door creaked at the other end of the hall. Kiba's head snapped around towards the sound and he moved closer to the bars, Tsume with him. The clicks of boot heels came towards them. Toboe cocked his head, listening nervously.

"They'll be here in two minutes!" He said, panting with apprehension.

Hige got up, backing against a wall. Blue went close to him, her eyes anxious.

"Hige?"

The sound grew louder and Hige pressed himself back into the corner, his head facing the bars. Kiba looked at him curiously.

"Hige."

Hige looked at Kiba. Kiba started at the emotion in the other wolf's eyes. The wolf was terrified of whatever was coming down that hall. His expression was wild and his fur was all on end.

"Kiba."

"What?"

"Kill me."

Kiba stopped. Had he heard Hige correctly?

"Do it now." Hige said, his voice shaking. "Kill me."

"What? You're talking crap." Tsume snapped. "What is wrong with you, Hige?"

"Just do it!" Hige begged. "Please."

"Hige…" Blue nudged him with her nose. "What's wrong? You…why?" Her eyes were wide and her voice soft with worry.

"Please." Hige said, staring at Kiba. Kiba's eyes narrowed.

"No."

The clicks got louder. They would arrive any second.

"Damn it, Kiba!" Hige hissed. Switching to his human form, he ran to the bars and began to pull at them with his hands, trying to pull them apart as Kiba had tried earlier. The bar began to creak painfully as Hige wrestled with it. "Come on, damn it!" He hissed through his clenched jaws.

The others stared in disbelief. The bar was actually bending back, screeching painfully as the metal bent out of the shape it had been cast in.

There was a sudden burst of laughter. The wolves looked up to see a group of humans on the other side of the bars. Hige leapt away from the bars and pressed himself into the corner again, shaking with fear. Blue went to him. The humans laughed.

"Hige, calm down. It's okay…"

He snarled and snapped at her. "Get away from me!"

She looked at him in amazement. "Hige..?"

"GO!" He snarled, baring his teeth viciously. "Get away!"

She backed up, hurt and confused. "Hige…" She stepped forward again.

Hige lunged forward and bit her. Blue cried out in pained surprise, and leapt backward. Hige snarled at her.

"Get away from me!"

"Hige!" Tsume snarled. Hige snarled back, his lips curling back over his teeth into a full snarl.

"Blue." Kiba snapped. Blue wavered between Hige and Kiba.

The humans laughed again, and one of them stepped forward. Kiba snarled at him. Toboe shrank back. The human chuckled and grinned at Hige.

"23. How nice to see you again."

Hige snarled at him, his human face twisting into an expression of pure hatred. Tsume stared at him. What the hell was going on with Hige?

The man giggled. "Oh, I'm glad to see you too." He motioned the guards. "Get him."

The bars opened. Kiba sprang towards the men, but a loop of chain was thrown around his neck and he was restrained, choking, on the end of it. The other wolves, with the exception of Hige, leapt towards the humans, but were each restrained by the choke chains before they could leap out of the way. The wolves had never encountered these chains before, never realized that they could be almost killed by such a simple thing as a length of chain. Kiba's jaws began to froth with pent up fury. He threw himself against the chain again and again, but the men holding him were well-braced and strong…and apparently very well used to restraining wolves.

Hige, still in human form, watched the men come towards him. Shivering, he returned to wolf form and sprang at them, fangs slashing through their flesh. They tried to restrain him with the choke chain, but Hige dodged with uncanny ability. Blood splattered everywhere. The laughing man frowned.

"Get him!"

"We're trying!" The men snapped back. Several of them were hissing with pain from slashed arms, others cursing while cradling their wounded limbs.

"Come near me again and I'll kill you." Hige said quietly, back in human form. The men stared at him. Out of the twenty that had come with the laughing man, only four were free to attack Hige. The rest were occupied either with holding the other wolves or their wounds. The laughing man, no longer laughing, motioned with his hand.

"Get him."

The men darted forward. Hige leapt on them in wolf form. He was utterly silent. Not even a snarl escaped him. His fangs flashed four times and the four men fell, their throats torn out. Their leader hissed and pressed a button on a remote control he held in his hand. Hige screamed, collapsing to the ground and writhing horribly. The man held the button down and gestured to the wounded men.

"Carry him out. He's not going to hurt you."

The men grabbed him and they left, taking the bodies of their comrades with them and releasing the other four wolves. They disappeared down the hall.

The four collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath on the blood slick concrete. Kiba was the first to get up, going over to the place in the bars where Hige had nearly managed to open a hole and looking at the teeth marks. Hige, normally, would never use his fangs to bend bars. He thought it was "barbaric", which was just an excuse for laziness on his part. But this time…he had nearly succeeded in doing what Kiba had been unable to. Was it because of his desperation? Or was Hige really that strong? He had never shown any indication of it. He usually held back when it was time for fighting unless his presence was really required. He watched as Tsume checked over Toboe and Blue for wounds, and then, satisfied, headed over.

"Think we can break out?"

"I think we should wait." Kiba said quietly, still looking at the bent bar. A few more seconds and Hige would have had it bent, and they could have escaped. Who were those strange men, anyway? He didn't get it. They seemed overly concerned with Hige. Why Hige? And why was the wolf so afraid of them?

Tsume grunted. "We'll need to get Hige back."

"Yes."

"Provided he's not dead already."

"He's not."

"Uh-huh." Tsume agreed, going over to sniff the bars. "Hige was really upset."

"I don't think "upset" is quite the word for it." Blue said hoarsely, coming over to them and slowly shaking her head from side to side, trying to restore the circulation. "He was terrified."

"Yeah, he was!" Toboe interjected, bouncing over to them. Tsume wondered at the pup's energy. Here they were, almost choked the death five minutes before, and the kid was acting as if it had never happened. He sighed. At least it was better than the extremely submissive Toboe of fifteen minutes ago.

"I don't understand what he would have to be scared of." Tsume said dryly, raising his head from the bars. "We've been in tough situations before. We'll get out of this one."

"He knew these people." Kiba said.

"How would he know them?" Toboe asked, skittering across the floor and then slipping on the pools of blood. He shivered at the sight of the blood. The metallic tang was filling the air, setting him on edge. "He killed those men."

"Yes." Kiba said, looking out of the cage. No one was in the hall as yet, but that didn't mean no one would be. They needed to be ready the next time—the choke chains had been an inconvenience that they hadn't been expecting. Hige, on the other hand, had evidently expected that method of attack and avoided it appropriately. Kiba wondered again how exactly Hige knew these people.

An hour passed. And then another. Blue was getting restless, constantly getting up and going over to the bars to look for Hige. Toboe was nervously pacing the cage. Tsume tried to sleep while Kiba stood watch.

Two more hours passed until they heard the click of boot heels again. Tsume immediately got up, going closer to the bars while still being careful to stay out of chain's reach. Blue got close to the bars, looking anxiously down the hall, a small whine emerging from her throat. Kiba went up and snapped at her, driving her away from the bars.

"Don't be stupid, Blue. Keep away from the bars!"

Blue backed up a little, but kept her eyes fixed on the hall outside the cage. Toboe crept close to Tsume, taking comfort in the protective aura of the older wolf. Kiba stood closest to the bars, waiting for what he hoped would be the return of his pack member.

The first set of boots stopped in front of the cage. It was the laughing man. Kiba snarled at him. The man snorted.

"Don't be so rude, wolf." He sniffed. "This cage certainly smells bad."

"It's your fault!" Toboe said. The man smiled.

"I wasn't the one who did the killing, now was I?" The man snapped his fingers. "Hurry up, Lieutenant."

"Yes sir." A second man appeared, wheeling a cart. Blue gave a sharp cry at the sight of what the cart was carrying.

"Hige…" Tsume hissed. The laughing man smiled.

"Yes, number 23." He looked at the lieutenant. "Put him in. We'll take him later." He pressed a button on the remote and bars came slamming from the ceiling to the floor to create a square shaped space by the door, cutting the other wolves off from the entrance. Kiba snarled viciously at him. The man only smiled.

"Don't want my special little wolves to escape!" He beamed. "Especially not that one." He looked at Blue, and a strange smile played on his lips. He leaned closer to the bars. "I _know_."

Blue lunged at him, snapping at his face through the bars. He laughed at her.

"Out of range, sweetheart." The lieutenant shoved Hige's body through the door of the cage, and the two men left.

Blue threw herself at the bars separating her from Hige, but they didn't budge. Kiba stared at his unconscious pack member.

Hige's body was covered in his own blood, evidence of a vicious beating by more than one person. There was a strange scent in the air around him which Kiba recognized as some sort of drug. Tsume growled.

"Those bastards are going to pay for this."

Blue got her nose through the bars. "Hige. Hige!" She cried. Hige lay still.

"Hige." Kiba listened. Hige was definitely at least partially conscious. He could hear his heartbeat, and it wasn't the slow beat of sleep, but the quicker one of consciousness. The question at hand, however, was whether or not the drug had had a major effect on him or not.

"Hige." Tsume prodded. Hige twitched on the ground, barely responding to his name.

"Hige!" Kiba snapped. Hige lifted his head and stared blearily at the alpha.

"…w…h…a…t…" He mumbled, almost incoherently.

"What happened?" Kiba demanded. Hige began to laugh. At the sound of the laughter, Toboe hid behind Tsume. Hige's laughter was bitter and wild, almost hysterical. It frightened Toboe. He had never heard laughter like that before. Tsume had, and the thought made his face set in grim lines. Laughter like that was the sound of someone who had been pushed over the edge, broken past a point that few returned from.

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**Ta Da! What is up with Hige? Why is he so weird? Will update soon, if I have enough incentive from reviews. ;) Please review! Make me happy:) Hit the little button at the bottom...and I like _constructive _criticism. Seriously. **


	3. Chapter 3

**Standard disclaimers apply. **

**Okay, my faithful readers and reviewers, here is the next chapter. Thanks so much for the reviews! I really appreciate them...and _please _send me more! Love 'em!**

**You'll probably hate me at the end of the chapter.**

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"Hige. Pull yourself together." Kiba ordered. The laughter was beginning to make him nervous. His fur was all on end, the hairs reacting to the increased electricity in the air. Blue whined and shoved her nose further through the bars trying to reach Hige. Hige continued to laugh manically.

"I told you." He cackled. "You should have killed me. You should have killed me!" His voice broke at the end of it, almost reaching a sob. He curled in on himself, trying to hide from them.

"Hige." Toboe whimpered, crouching next to Tsume. "Don't act like this. You're scaring me."

"Good." Hige chuckled. "Good. Very good." He was laughing and crying now, the different sounds melding to form a horrifying mix in his throat. It was a dry retching, an uncontrollable sobbing underlying the bitterness of laughter.

"Hige!" Tsume snapped. "Shove it!"

Hige laughed again and coughed. "You should have killed me." He whispered, closing his eyes and curling up more tightly.

"Why?" Kiba demanded. Blue growled at Kiba, fur bristling.

"Leave him alone!" Blue bared her teeth at Kiba. Kiba showed her a fang.

"This is important, Blue. It concerns all of us." _Can't you understand that? _

Blue snarled at Kiba. "Leave him alone!" _You don't understand anything!_

Kiba snarled back. Hige bristled, uncurling from the ball and unsteadily getting to his feet. Something about the way he was standing, even behind the bars, made Kiba very aware of his size.

"Leave it, Kiba!" Hige growled wetly. He tried to step forward, only to collapse again in a damp heap on the floor. Blue gave a small shriek of pain and pressed herself against the cold steel bars, whining with anxiety and frustration. Kiba stiffened and glared at the bars. Damn the humans who put them there. Damn them for torturing Hige, and damn them again for separating him from the rest of the pack. Aggravated, he snarled at Blue, who snarled back viciously. Hige started to get to his feet.

"Stop moving!" Blue cried. Hige glared at her, his eyes bloodshot.

"I don't want you to hurt yourself!" Hige snapped. Tsume's eyes narrowed at this, but he said nothing. Blue, to Kiba's surprise, backed down, her ears pinning back against her skull. She sidled up to the bars again, rubbing herself against them, trying to get Hige to come to her. Hige, ignoring Blue, looked at Kiba, his eyes dark and clouded by the drug.

"You…don't want to hear it." Hige muttered.

"Yes I do." Kiba said flatly. "We need to know it."

"You don't need to know it, you just want to." Hige mumbled, his voice thickening under the drug's influence. Toboe began to whine with anxiety, fearfully sidling away from the cage with Hige inside. Tsume glanced at the pup, then back at Hige. The stupid pig was being an idiot again and causing the pup to worry.

"Tell us." Tsume snapped. Hige began to shudder.

"You don't want to know!" He shivered violently. "You don't want to know!" He looked at them with dead, drugged eyes. "You don't want to know." He stared at Kiba, his eyes trying to focus and failing. They wandered about the room, trying to fix and give him a definite image, but it didn't work. "Please…just die while you still can. Please…just…run…"

"Hige!" Kiba snapped. "Control it! Tell us!"

Hige began to toss on the floor, foam coming from his mouth. Kiba could see him slipping deeper into the drug's influence. If they didn't hurry, he would be too far gone for them to get any information. If they didn't get the information, they would probably die. Even if Hige thought they should, Kiba had no intention of giving up just yet.

"Hige!" Kiba snapped. Hige began to retch, spitting out bloody foam, and then more and more blood. Blue began to cry. She grabbed the bars with her teeth and tried to force them apart. Hige continued to retch, vomiting up more and more blood. The wet, dark sound of the blood forcing its way out caused Toboe to cower and whine nervously. Tsume snapped at the pup, who flinched and stopped crying.

"Tsume!" Kiba snapped, grabbing a bar. Tsume grabbed another bar and started pulling hard. Toboe ran over and grabbed Tsume's bar, reaching under it to pull hard, forcing the bars apart. Straining, the wolves felt the bars slowly began to move apart. They pulled harder, muscles bunching and tensing, knotting so hard that it was painful. Growls began to emerge from their throats as they braced their feet and ripped away at the metal. Blue ran over and began to jerk at the bar with Kiba.

An alarm went off and suddenly lights began to flash in the hall. Thumps of man heels echoed down the corridor.

"Harder!" Kiba growled. They pulled harder…the bars were almost apart enough…

A dozen men in uniforms appeared in the corridor, guns at the ready. They let loose a spray of bullets at the wolves, driving them away from the bars, and quickly opened the door. Two of them grabbed the convulsing Hige, and dragged him off. Blue howled and threw herself against the bars, screaming.

"Hige! Hige! HIGE!"

Tsume pulled her away from the bars by the scruff, only to have her lunge at him.

"Let me go!"

"You aren't going to do any good like that!" Tsume growled. Blue snapped at him.

"Quit it!" Kiba snapped. "The bars!"

The wolves grabbed the bars again and began to pull, only to hear a sharp click and feel the bars spring back into place. Tsume snarled and pulled at it again. A sudden frizzing sound was heard and Tsume yelped and leapt back.

"What happened?" Kiba demanded. Tsume, back in human form, was fingering his jaw.

"The bars are electrified."

"Damn."

* * *

**Yes, I know you're probably dreadfully angry with me at this point. But...I had to end it there. Don't worry, there may be some revelations in the next chapter. I'm very good at revelations, when I get around to them. Please...make me happy and give me more incentive to post by clicking that little button at the bottom to submit a review...I love feedback!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Standard disclaimers apply.**

**A new chapter already! I am hitting myself with a stick for posting again so soon, but I really couldn't resist. And you may hate me for this chapter as well--it has revelations, but most of them are implied. There is a _major _one, however, which has a great deal to do with the plot. The next chapter will deal more with what is revealed here...and gracious, this story is going to be long...maybe. **

**Warning: this chapter contains a _great deal of stream of consciousness. _If you absolutely hate stream of consciousness, don't read this. I refuse to edit it and/or act on any constructive criticism advice concerning S of C, because I like it the way it is. Of course, everyone doesn't like S of C. It's very confusing because of the lack of punctuation. If you do try to read it, try to remove yourself from the traditional structure and immerse yourself in the mind of the character.**

**Love all you reviewers and readers, and thanks for the reviews! _Please_, I'm begging you on my knees to review more! I refuse to post the next chapter (out of self-discipline) until I get at least seven more reviews. I have to restrain myself from posting too often. It's a bad habit. So--you will help discipline me this way. **

* * *

There was a subtle darkness pushing through the vision of one eye, while the other was completely blinded. It was not a black darkness, but tinged with green and red and a dozen other colors, nearly black but not quite reaching true blackness. They combined to form a sickening color that nauseated him almost to the point of vomiting. The colorful darkness would not remain still, but swayed and twisted, meshing and merging into newly old colors that again separated into singularities and specifics.

At the edge of the darkness was something scarlet streaked with bright fire. It slithered along the velvety uneven edge of the darkness, trying to permeate it. The darkness resisted, curling and crushing its edges into amorphousness so that there would be no definite area of penetration. The crimson wave shoved itself against the vague darkness, trying to find something solid to force without success.

He watched it, dimly aware that the red was his brain's interpretation of pain. He knew it was pain, yet he didn't particularly care. He couldn't feel it, anyway, having taken refuge in the darkness, vile as it was. Even if it made him sick, it was better than pain. It was better than awareness of what was going on. He vaguely knew what was going on, but was so out of it that he didn't really care. They were poking and prodding him now, pricking him with needles, taking samples with scalpels.

He laughed to himself, a small, cracked sound. This was just the beginning. Soon they would start the rehabilitation. The thought made him moan faintly and shift on the steel table, claws skittering on the cold metal. He managed to shift nearly to the edge of the straps pinning him down when he felt his leg go numb. He began to whine as he felt the numbness spread throughout his body until every part of him was completely without feeling. He was paralyzed.

"23?" A voice whispered next to him. Unable to move, he began to shudder internally. He hated that voice. That voice was evil. It was pure evil. Nothing good could come from it; nothing ever had, and nothing ever would. He felt like screaming, but was unable to make a sound. He tried to dive deeper within himself, past consciousness or any form of self-awareness at all. The voice spoke again, the sound resurrecting too many memories that wouldn't allow him to sleep. "23, I know you're lonely."

He began to scream inside, screaming so loud that his soul was shattering with the volume of it. Outside, there was no sound save his rapid breathing and the slower breathing of the voice. The voice smiled; he heard the smile even though he couldn't see it. "Good little dog. We're going to do something now, so that you'll remember it later." There was a brief hiss and a popping sound. He became aware of something entering his body through his leg, but was unable to do anything other than sense it. What he was more aware of was the chemical slowly spreading through his blood, swimming down his veins and into his brain. The voice laughed.

"It's nothing personal, 23, only that, for the experiment to work and for us to meet our goal, we need you to remember what you have suppressed for so long. I understand that it's going to be painful, but beauty takes pain, as they say, and this is most definitely going to be beautiful."

He screamed again, this time so loudly that a rasping cry came from his throat. It was ruining him, he could feel it and now everything was going to hell all over again…she was going to die again and it would be all over, all over even the child would die the child was too young to die just like the others and why did it have to be this way it didn't have to why were they doing this to him why hadn't they listened why couldn't he just die already why hadn't they paid attention when he had told them that it was better to die then be where they were but they hadn't listened they never did and it was killing him slowly giving birth to something that was not himself but someone else their tool he didn't want to be used again not again he had been used too many times too many times to count and why did it have to be this way again was the circle never ending this endless cycle of pain and everlasting sorrow…

Sorrow…sorrow…sorrow was her name wasn't it sorrow blue isn't that what blue means just like the other one but she didn't have a name really they didn't give her one only the number and then the name she had given herself that wasn't at all like her he didn't understand why she called herself that and why did they do it this way again why couldn't they ever end the cycle it had too long ago and too soon it had never ended and never begun but now it was beginning and ending again and aishou aishou you were gone again and going and that wasn't your name shouldn't be your name…

Why call yourself that he deserved that title though helpless weak and stupid would be a better name for him baka he was such a baka he had always been a baka ever since he was a kid even before then ever since he had known himself he had been a baka he had been born a baka and now it was going to be all over all over again and he was completely dead and gone soon but why should that be why should he be dead again it wasn't fair why couldn't he realize something what they couldn't realize he was a person he was why didn't anyone see that he was the only one who saw himself as a person but that wasn't true he was a person anymore he had died a long time ago it wasn't fair that he was still here on earth but he couldn't die couldn't kill himself for one thing it was wrong bad shouldn't be done ever because it was despair and he didn't want to despair it was just what they wanted but oh god he was going down fast just what they wanted hold downward spiral he didn't want to remember but they were all rushing back he had forced forgetfulness amnesia was a good thing…

Even a lie if it was a good lie was better than living this existence that he couldn't fathom he wanted to die oh he wanted to die but he wasn't going to give them the satisfaction somehow he had to live, had to keep his ghost moving through this world until someday he would be released to join them but why couldn't he understand that somehow it would never turn out all right they were all so optimistic paradise didn't exist just a myth made to torture them more for some to make life livable but it didn't exist it couldn't exist there couldn't be that much unspoiled happiness anywhere it was impossible for one thing that would mean she was alive and even then it wouldn't be happy because that would never happen the one happy time ever known even though they had…had…it was horrible what had been done but he wouldn't let himself think of it couldn't allow it torture rather torture rather than think of what had been done don't think of them he had to protect her somehow had to protect her it was so important she had to be protected to important so she didn't end up like them

Quit thinking of them it's wrong to think of them it won't do anyone any good you'll just screw yourself over again not that it hasn't happened already but if you do it again they will have gone in vain and whatever happened to them whatever happened they told him they were dead he had seen them die but were they really he hadn't smelled death on all of them just assumed didn't want to see anymore so died instead inside amnesia was their tool they used him like an instrument he didn't want to be played again didn't want to be played again please save me someone save me I don't know how you'll do it but please just please save me

* * *

Kiba and the rest of the pack sat inside their cage staring at each other. They had no idea of what they were supposed to be doing next. Kiba knew that they should rescue Hige, wanted to rescue Hige with all of his being, but they couldn't do anything at the moment because of those damn bars. Stupid humans. They always hurt them, every time. He glanced towards Blue. And now Blue was crying. Kiba growled. People who hurt his pack should die.

Toboe sidled up to Blue, rubbing his head against her. She laid down and put her head on her paws, staring at the cage where Hige had been and utterly ignoring Toboe. Toboe whined and began to nudge Blue with his nose.

"Come on, Blue. It'll be okay."

Blue growled. "Go away."

Toboe nudged her again. "Please, Blue, please." He didn't like to see his friends this way, torturing themselves like this. No one should be sad like that. Everyone should be happy. Why did people do this to themselves? Why did humans do it to wolves?

"Go away, Toboe!"

Toboe crept away, tail between his legs. Why did no one ever listen to him? He went and sat in the corner, depressed. Kiba sighed.

Tsume looked at Blue. According to his suggestion, the wolves had returned to their human illusions in order to hopefully elicit some feeling of sympathy or pity from the guards. So far, it hadn't worked. Blue, as a human, was sitting with her arms wrapped around her knees, staring straight ahead. It was strangely disconcerting, and made Tsume feel an odd prick of sympathy for her. If only the guards felt the same way. But the sympathy had to be ignored. Doing what he had to do was going to be difficult, but it had to be done. He took a breath and stared at Blue.

"Something you want to tell us, Blue?"

At his tone, Kiba looked up sharply, looking from Tsume to Blue and back again. Toboe lifted his head to stare at Blue. Blue pulled more tightly into herself.

"No."

"I think you do." Tsume got up and began to walk over to her. Blue got to her feet and faced him, hands at her sides.

"Leave me alone."

"No." Tsume got closer to Blue. She growled, hair lifting on the back of her neck. He ignored it. She bared her teeth.

"Stay away from me, Tsume."

Tsume stepped forward. "What does the man know, Blue? Why did he tell you "I know"? I think it's time you told everyone exactly what is going on here."

"There's nothing going on."

"That's bull."

She snarled. "There's nothing going on!"

"Blue?" Kiba asked, moving in on her. "We need to know."

"You're treating me just like Hige!" Blue snapped, backing into a wall. Kiba glared.

"If it concerns you, it concerns the pack, Blue. Tell us."

"No!"

Tsume looked at her. "If you don't tell them, then I will."

Blue's eyes got wide and frightened. "You don't know anything."

"I know enough."

"You don't know anything, Tsume, so you just stay out of this."

Tsume turned towards Kiba. "Blue has been concealing something from the rest of the pack for a while now."

Kiba stared. "What?" He looked at Blue, who was pressed back against the wall, her eyes narrowed and fur all on end. She was breathing hard.

Tsume took a deep breath. "Blue's pregnant."

* * *

**So, are you completely infuriated with me now? Tell me by pushing that little button at the bottom. Did you see this coming? I've been throwing subtle hints towards this throughout. And, as you might expect, the Hige/Blue relationship is going to have a bigger part in the story now that the cat's out of the bag.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Standard disclaimer applies.**

**Okay, much delayed, here is the next chapter. Sorry about the wait, but I had two papers due, and a lot of homework, and major sleep deprivation. So, sorry. **

**This chapter has more stream-of-consciousness in it. Yeah, I know it sucks, but it's going to be here for a while just because, so, yeah. **

**One last note: this chapter contains mature content. (No, not sex or anything) I think. I'm not quite sure. So please, if you would, tell me in a PM or a review if you think this story ought to be moved to the Mature section. I honestly don't know. So I would appreciate your opinions. It's not sex or brutal violence or anything like that...you'll see what it is. **

**Have fun! And PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW! (sobs and begs on knees) I love it when you do--especially story ideas, character thoughts, comments on where you think the plot is going...love 'em all!**

* * *

He was sliding sliding downhill so fast he didn't know what hit him except that it was taking him with it somehow somewhere it was happening all over again…

* * *

Kiba stared at Tsume.

"You're…not serious."

Tsume glared at him, his eyes flashing in the dim light. "I am serious! You think I would joke about something like this?"

"Blue?"

Blue was huddled by herself in a corner, clutching herself and shivering violently. Kiba's nostrils flared as he took in her scent. She was crying to herself, sobbing so softly that he almost couldn't hear it. And…she did smell pregnant. But why hadn't he noticed it before? Had he really been that preoccupied? He looked at Tsume, trying to conceal his annoyance with himself and concern.

"How long have you known?"

"A week, maybe."

"You didn't notice before then?" Kiba snapped. "She's fairly far along!"

Tsume's hackles rose and he snarled at Kiba. "You didn't notice either!"

Toboe began to cry. "Stop fighting! Please stop fighting…"

The two ignored him, instead beginning to circle each other, both eaten away with irritation and some guilt at the fact that they hadn't noticed before, hadn't paid more attention to the other members of the pack. The built up anger from Hige, their confrontations, the pain of seeing another member of the pack hurt…they were ready to kill something, and it might as well be each other.

* * *

Toboe couldn't believe it. They were being stupid—_again!_ They were trapped here in a dungeon, in a _cage_, and Tsume and Kiba were fighting! Hige was captured, dying maybe, Blue was hurt and pregnant, and they weren't listening to him! Why didn't they listen? They were just going to get them all killed at this rate, and couldn't they see how bad it was to fight now? Why couldn't they see that? Why couldn't they realize that? It hurt him to watch them fight, hurt him so bad. He didn't like to see the other members of the pack get angry at each other, didn't like to see them fight.

That was why he liked hanging around Hige so much—Hige hardly ever got mad—in fact, he had only gotten mad once, and that had been about Blue. He whimpered and crouched down.

He couldn't really do anything about it. He had tried before. They just snarled at him then. He wanted to make them stop, but he couldn't. He wasn't big enough, not yet. The sounds of the snarls were getting more vicious, and he heard a brief yelp as one of the two older wolves got a mouthful of skin and fur, then a rumbling snarl as the other retaliated with a quick flash of white teeth, bringing blood to the other's shoulder. Toboe closed his eyes.

It had come to blood now. Why couldn't they stop? They would get everyone killed, they would all die, just like Hige was dying…he couldn't take it anymore! Toboe gave a sharp cry and dove between the two fighting wolves, his shoulder coming in the way of Tsume's teeth in the process. The older wolves stopped, staring at the half-grown pup.

"Toboe!" Tsume snapped. "What the hell are you doing?" Blood still dripped off his fangs, and his eyes were hard and angry. Toboe felt like running but forced himself still. He couldn't run anyway—his legs had frozen in position, refusing to allow him to move. He swallowed nervously.

"You guys can't fight like this."

Kiba was looking at him with a strange expression on his face. Toboe felt a whine coming on and stopped it. He swallowed again, licking his jaws.

"We have to stay together. We can't fight or we'll…we'll die." Toboe said. His voice was trembling. He tensed his muscles to prevent himself from collapsing in on himself again. There was a long silence. Kiba and Tsume looked at Toboe, and Toboe looked anywhere but them. He looked at the wall, the floor, and the bars. He looked at Blue, still shuddering and crying in the corner.

Tsume barked a laugh and shook his head. Toboe looked at him, forcing his tail to stay out from between his legs.

"You…kid." He cuffed Toboe on the head. "You're growing up."

Kiba nodded. "He is." He looked at Toboe. "You are right, Toboe. Tsume and I should not be fighting."

Toboe looked at them. They weren't mad…?

"Thanks kid." Tsume growled. He glanced at Kiba. "So what do we do about Blue?"

Kiba walked over to where the female was lying, curled in on herself in almost a fetal position. He nudged her with his nose.

"Blue?"

Blue whined and curled in tighter. Kiba nudged her again.

"Blue?"

Blue looked up, eyes swimming with tears. "What is it?"

"You need to get up."

"What's the point?" Blue demanded, her voice breaking. "Hige's gone, the human knows I'm pregnant, and he's going to take the pups. I know he's going to take the pups!" She cried, her voice cracking into hysterical sobs. She laid there, her entire body shaking with her grief, without caring about the effect her actions would have on her audience.

* * *

In the green room full of color that had no shade the man was talking again somehow with a voice that was everywhere but focused from a specific point coming from nowhere. It was green gray black and white without red or pink or blue or yellow but it wasn't green either, green was life, and this room was death. So what exactly was going on here he knew he was high…but this was completely stupid he couldn't focus on anything why not it hurt too bad oh please not again.

"23." The voice was erupting and flowing without sound from nowhere. "I'm glad you're happy."

Happy? Was he happy? He wasn't happy!

"I know you don't think you are now, but wait a moment. You will be." He heard a click of a button on a remote called zero cold freeze and the sound of a word being spoken in his ears and in his head it was cold like ice and hurt like cold iron why?

"Ah, I forgot. We need you a bit clearer for this." He felt a long stick of pain enter him and then the world came back into focus. He blinked. Where was he? The room with the damned doctor…he screamed. The doctor smiled.

"Time for the makeover, I think." The doctor pressed a button on the remote again and spoke a single word.

"Doctor."

A wave of pleasure so intense it was almost painfully sweet shot through him. He could feel it stiffening his limbs, roiling through his veins and enveloping his consciousness. It was delicious, so pure and perfect he never wanted it to end, ever. He could go on living with that pleasure forever, for all eternity. The sweet bliss…he couldn't live without it. He writhed in its gentle grasp, savoring the feel of it, reveling in its touch.

It was suddenly removed from him, and the emptiness it left was so strong that it burned. He cried out in anger and grief, enraged that he would dare leave him so empty and utterly alone. The doctor smiled and spoke again.

"Wolves."

He screamed. Pain shot through his nerves, shredding them to bits and causing him to scream again and again. "Wolves." It spoke again, killing him. He had to stop thinking of wolves had to stop thinking of them, but Tsume and Kiba and Toboe came to mind, and sweet Blue, sweet Blue…he heard the click of the remote again and a fresh wave shot through his senses. He had to stop thinking. He fought against it, trying to think of anything else, but the word was repeated over and over, constantly triggering his memories according to the training that had been buried deep within him. Think of something...something...human beings. Think of them. They were evil not Blue not Toboe not Tsume and Kiba those four didn't cause him pain not ever they saved him but they did they were hurting him…

Flashes of red and orange and black shot through his eyes, every new thought of Blue and the others inducing a new wave of agony. Darkness was swimming over him, dotting the edges of his vision, preventing him from thinking or seeing or knowing anything really it was coming and falling and dancing through him he couldn't think it was too thick and what was going on at the edge wolves damn them why couldn't they leave him alone he hated them hated them hated them hated them curse them all curse them all oh damn it all...

He was trying to flee into blackness but the voice spoke again. "Doctor."

The pain stopped, replaced by a trickling, dancing wave of joy and pleasure that shot through his tortured nerves, soothing them, stroking them lovingly. It was the greatest, most beautiful thing he had ever felt, an ecstasy like no other. And he fought against it. He knew, dimly, that the voice was directly stimulating the pleasure centers of his brain in order to reprogram him (just like they had before, damn them, and look what was happening all over again hell on earth oh God please not again please), and that he had to stop it had to stop it had to stop it somehow but oh it was so wonderful and there was no pain anymore, no pain at all nothing hurt anymore...

"Wolves. Hige. Blue. Kiba. Tsume. Toboe. Cheza. Wolves. Happiness."

The pain was back, twice as strong and even more agonizing than before. It ripped through him turning into wild green flames that torn through him and destroyed everything that he knew except the pain and how he hated those words, the people that caused it. Damn the wolves damn them all including himself he didn't want to take it anymore couldn't take it anymore. He didn't care if it happened again didn't care (but he did and that was the funny thing he cared so much but he couldn't bear to care it hurt too bad but he didn't want to hurt them again as he had before didn't want to do what he had before not again not again not again DAMN IT PLEASE PLEASE NO!)

"Kill. Maim. Slash. Bite. Tear. Rip. Destroy. 23."

The words tumbled over and over through his consciousness, mixing themselves with the wave of pleasure that darted through him, comforting his nerves and hiding the overloaded pain centers of his brain, stimulating pleasure and joy and comfort and love. These were good things. Good things. The others were bad, bad bad bad bad they hurt him people were evil evil Hige was evil Hige must die the wolves must die all must die but 23 23 was good he would not die not hurt him could not hurt him but it was wrong so wrong it couldn't be Hige was...Hige was...a self-induced wave of pain shot through him, ripping him in two and he screamed again.

Distantly he heard the voice, full of satisfaction and...anger? say that it was done and going well and he hated the voice hated it more than anything else it was evil terrible bad it hurt him oh how it hurt him...the small thread in the back of his mind called to him, called faintly saying to fight fight more and he agreed fighting was good it felt good but the little thread was bad (Hige was bad oh how bad and evil and painful) and he hated it it hurt him. He cut it off, closing the little window it had come in through, even though he could feel it beating desperately on the window, trying to get in again. It had to stay out. It was bad.

* * *

The doctor looked through the window at the wolf writhing on the steel table. He smiled to himself and made a note on his clipboard. This was going well, quite well indeed. Just as before. It was really fantastic luck that they had managed to get him again—he hadn't expected it. 23 was the last (and best) of the old ones, and it was really a miracle that they had gotten him back. And with four new ones, too. The new ones weren't likely to be as malleable as 23—they hadn't been formed as he had been—but the pup was promising. And the bitch was due to whelp soon. Those pups would be quite interesting indeed. She wasn't a pure wolf, but 23 always bred true. And his offspring had always been so interesting and quite useful.

The bitch had never mattered with pups before, and he doubted it would now. All the other bitches had carried the pups to term, whelped, and then been properly disposed of. The man smiled to himself again. It was about time 23's "companions" discovered the exact nature of what was going on here. Their reactions would probably prove interesting, to say the least. And revealing the information to them would show him which of them were ready. The rest could be disposed of later. Except the bitch. She might prove to be a useful brood bitch, depending on how well 23 related to her. Of course, the mental reprogramming would change that, but there was still some level of chemistry which was always useful…such chemistry had only occurred with him once before, with one other bitch. The chemistry had proven to be too strong and she had been disposed of. Hopefully this bitch wouldn't go the way of the other, but if she did, there was always a myriad of disposal methods available.

He slid his pen into his coat pocket and tucked his clipboard under his arm. Time to visit the other wolves.


	6. Chapter 6

**Standard disclaimer applies.**

**Okay, I know you all want to kill me because I haven't gotten to the revelation scene yet. And you'll want to kill me even more painfully after this chapter, because...gulps and looks away I still haven't gotten to it. I know I said I would...but it's coming really slowly. I have major writer's block for this story right now. So...please don't kill me, and trust that the next chapter will be up as soon as I can.**

**Enjoy.**

* * *

Blue stared at the other wolves, her eyes wide and her entire body quivering with emotion. Why couldn't they understand? They didn't believe her when she said that the human was going to take the pups. Why couldn't they believe her? She _knew. _She didn't know how she knew, but somehow she did know that that man was taking the pups, had taken pups before…they would be treated like dogs, just as she had been. Or worse.

She didn't mind having been Quent's dog, having been a part of his family, the pet of his child. She loved Quent, had loved the child and Quent's wife. But she didn't want her children raised like that. She wanted each one of them to recognize him or herself as a unique individual independent of humans or other beings. Blue wanted them to be their own people. She didn't want them to be like her. She wanted them to realize that they were more than animals, more than the playthings and tools of men. They weren't meant to be that way! She didn't want them to think that way!

Quent had used her as his tool for years. His beloved tool, yes, but a tool nonetheless. She didn't want her children to have to do that. Blue wanted them to grow up as Hige had grown up—free, unrestricted by humans, unfettered by the desires of others. The pups should follow their own hearts, achieve their own destinies by their own means. They needed to be free and happy like Hige and the others, not confused as she was. She was confused…she was half-dog after all, not really a wolf, not really a real person.

How could she be a real person? She was half-animal. Wolves were animals. But they were different. They were free, self-aware. Each wolf was a _person. _But she wasn't. She was…a dog, in the end, just a dog, not a wolf. She could pretend to be a wolf, pretend to be a person, act like a person acted, but in the end it was a complete mystery to her. She didn't understand so much. So many things that confounded her were completely natural to the others. She was still learning to be a person.

If the pups went through that she would die. Quent at least had treated her almost like his own child. But this man wouldn't. He would treat them like slaves. Less than slaves.

She wouldn't be able to take that.

* * *

Kiba stared at Blue. The female was shivering, her eyes staring at nothing. He felt a chill go up his spine. He had never dealt with a pregnant female before. He didn't know how to…handle her, he supposed. He had heard that females were extremely…moody when pregnant, but he didn't know they were like this. Kiba cursed to himself. Where was that damn Hige? Damn him.

His ears flicked backwards suddenly as he heard the soft click of boot heels on the concrete outside the cage. Kiba turned slowly around, his body half-hiding Blue, both from the man and blocking her view of the bars. She was fragile enough as it was.

He drew in a slow breath when he saw the doctor at the bars. The man was standing there, clipboard in hand, staring coldly at them. Kiba hissed at Tsume. The gray wolf herded Toboe back towards Blue and then stood slightly behind Kiba, glaring at the doctor. The doctor smiled.

"Hello, bitch."

Kiba snarled. Blue shrank back against the wall, fur bristling in fear. Toboe crept up to her and pressed himself against her, frantically licking at her to try and calm her down. The human smiled again, making a note on his clipboard.

"I'm going to take the cubs, you know." He looked up at Blue. "They'll be mine."

Blue closed her eyes and began to shake uncontrollably. Violent shudders racked her slim frame, causing Toboe to press himself against her even harder. Tsume snarled viciously at the human, his fangs shining lethally in the dim electric lights. The man made another note on the clipboard.

"Why are you doing this?" Kiba demanded, glaring at the man. "Why are you torturing us like this?"

The man glanced up from his clipboard, sparing Kiba a small, dry smile.

"Why not?"

Kiba lunged at the man through the bars, his teeth flashing in a vicious snarl. The bars shot electricity through his body, throwing him to the floor. The man scribbled something on his clipboard and glanced at Blue, who was still shuddering against Toboe.

"I have something to show you." He looked at Tsume and Kiba. "All of you."

He pressed a button on the wall outside the cell and the floor dropped out from under them. Toboe screamed, a long, hissing wail that caught in the back of his throat and came out as a broken shriek for help. Tsume tried to grab the pup in midair, but it was no use…the floor came up to meet them before he could grab Toboe's scruff. They all fell with a hard thunk onto the metal floor. Blue landed last, and upon hitting the metal gave a sharp cry. The three wolves went over to her and nudged her gently with their noses and licking her softly. She whimpered her appreciation and sat up.

Tsume looked around them. The man was nowhere in sight. Where the bars protecting him had been, there was now a large blank viewing screen that completely covered the entire wall. Tsume stalked up to it and sniffed suspiciously, only to be startled by the laughter of the bastard scientist.

"Don't worry, I'm not hiding behind the wall."

Tsume snarled. "I didn't think you were!"

"Tsume." Kiba snapped. Tsume subsided and backed away from the screen.

"Do I have your attention?" The human asked. Tsume and Kiba glared. Toboe licked Blue, who closed her eyes and lowered her head to her paws. "Good. I would like you to pay careful attention to the following video. It is quite important to you."

"How can anything you have to give be at all important to us?" Tsume growled.

The man chuckled again. "Because it gives you a more realistic expectation of the future; both for yourselves, and for the cubs that bitch is carrying."

"Don't call Blue a bitch!" Toboe barked. The man chuckled and did not reply. Toboe snarled at the screen.

The screen came to life with a sudden image.


End file.
